The SoccerBible has once again opened our Boot Vault to find a classic football boot from yesteryear. This time we've brought back the first generation Nike Tiempo Ronaldinho 10R football boots, as worn by the iconic Brazilian footballer.
Launched 4 years ago in late 2006, the Ronaldinho 10R series was the first complete signature line Nike had created exclusively for one of their football stars. But the 10R
Tiempo Ronaldinho wasn’t just made for Ronaldinho, he helped create them.
It
was Ronaldinho himself who, at the Nike design centre grabbed a pen and
drew a circle on the in-step of his old boots. That was the size of the
sweet spot he wanted and so that is what the Nike design gurus set about creating with the Ronaldinho 10R.
For starters, to provide this expanded
sweetspot, a unique five-eye lacing system was developed and this was
covered with a super soft fold over tongue for purer ball contact.
Ronaldinho
grew up playing Brazilian Futsal. A game based on tight dribbling and
absolute ball control with the sole of the foot, so the 10R featured textured thermoplastic
stud tips in order to help grip the ball
to maximise boot-sole ball control.
A golden sole plate reminds us of how high Ronaldinho's star was in 4 years ago, with his performances on the pitch mesmorizing and exciting.
The distinctive design elements on the 10R Tiempo Ronaldinho - three colours of stitching and a brand new "10R" logo - are included to represent
strength, inspiration and joy that Ronaldinho has when playing football. Nike wanted to give each wearer that feeling of sheer joy from playing football, so these stylish additions enhanced the premium feeling and presentation of the boot.
Also at Ronaldinho’s request was the 10R’s highly polished,
super smooth, yet classic black upper which is made from the soft ‘K’
leather - giving the samba star the ultimate feel and touch of the ball
he wanted. The Nike Tiempo 10R is still a classic football boot today and is well worthy of its place in the SoccerBible's Boot Vault.
This original release of the Nike Tiempo Ronaldinho 10R hit stores for
around £100 GBP, as was followed up by several additional colourways
during the series life. Ronaldinho sported versions in Pearl, Red,
Cinder and Obsidian, before migrating to the 10R Dois range in 2008.
Stay tuned to the SoccerBible as we reveal more soccer cleats from the
Boot Vault, showcasing the best retro, classic and once forgotten boots
and bringing them back to life!